Killing Eve Season Finale Review: You’re Mine (Season 2 Episode 8)
All the neatly curated pieces have toppled on Killing Eve Season 2 Episode 8, “You’re Mine.”
The bombastic finale continues with the same breakneck pace as the rest of the season, pausing slightly for a few pensive moments. With Eve and Villanelle finally occupying the same space for most of the episode, it pays the audience off in spades.
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are amazing in their respective roles and they are even more amazing when they can act off of each other. These scenes are no exception running the gambit from soft and pensive to hard and biting.
But “You’re Mine,” also made apparent something that was missing during the rest of the season: danger. While watching Eve attempt to find Villanelle for the first few episodes of Season 2 was interesting, there was no real and present danger. Even when it came to the Ghost, no one on the team was threatened.
“You’re Mine” takes us back to a dangerous version of Villanelle’s job. It hits hard at some of the dangers of fieldwork, and it presents our lead characters with a choice.
In many ways, this finale mirrors the Season 1 finale “God, I’m Tired,” with Eve being out in the cold and Villanelle on the rocks with Konstantin again. The fact that it happens early on the episode draws them together and makes them fight to survive.
The confrontations and kills in this episode are beautifully executed. Given that we’ve gone a few episodes now without Villanelle killing anyone, it was nice to go back to the status quo, and I cannot think of two characters who needed to get gone more than Aaron and Raymond.
Aaron Peel’s deal was one I fully expected, but the way it’s presented is probably said best by Villanelle herself:
VILLANELLE: You know Aaron makes movies, Eve? I mean they’re not great. The murders are okay, but I want more story, you know.
Watching Villanelle uncover Aaron’s trove of voyeuristic videos felt like a last minute addition to push Villanelle over the edge. As an audience, we never really saw enough of Peel to make us invested in whether he lives or dies. There’s not enough story attached to how and why he operates like that.
And yet, his end is so perfect for his character. Knowing that he has these voyeuristic tendencies, to have him die watching himself in the mirror feels so poetic.
Likewise, Raymond’s death is also well executed. Raymond isn’t a figure that’s particularly endearing either, but the fact that Konstantin informed us that he is the one who terminates does make him intimidating.
Seeing him standing with an ax in front of Villanelle did feel a little over the top, but I have to imagine that he was trying to buy into how much Villanelle enjoys the performance aspect of her job.
Having Eve be the one who actually kills Raymond if an interesting turn even though it blows back on Villanelle when she reveals that she had a gun the entire time.
The final scene in the ruins of Rome is the perfect quiet moment between our two favorite characters before everything falls apart. It’s a beautiful backdrop for this quiet and yet unsettling moment.
The fact that it takes place in ruins which are both durable and broken pieces of structure feels like the perfect symbolism for their relationship. Solid footing amongst the ruins.
And amongst their back and forth about what to do next, we see a little bit of how vulnerable Villanelle is. Earlier with Konstantin he talks about his family and how he’s betraying Villanelle to get them back. Villanelle says that her family is dead.
Eve is Villanelle’s family. We know she loves Eve. We know she’ll protect Eve. And at the same time, I’m recalling Konstantin’s warning from Killing Eve Season 2 Episode 3, “The Hungary Caterpillar.” How Villanelle loves so completely until there’s nothing left.
It’s Eve’s rejection that causes her to betray her. The moment when Villanelle shoots Eve in the back is unsettling.
Yes, it’s a little turnabout is fair play — yes, still thinking about “God, I’m Tired,”–but it also feels much harsher. Shooting her in the back is personal, and angry. If Eve stabbing Villanelle was out of curiosity, Villanelle’s actions are to send a message.
What that might be, is anyone’s guess, but it’s definitely left us with questions for the third season.
And while we might be worried until Seaosn 3 starts, let’s be honest, there’s no way they’re going to kill Eve off. Not when the show is called Killing Eve. Watching Villanelle go on a rampage would be interesting, but it’s definitely not going to carry an entire season.
Not unless they start pulling some Battlestar Galactica head!Eve type business. That might actually be interesting.
Stray Thoughts:
- Anyone else worried about what happens when Eve goes home and finds Niko pissed at her because Villanelle killed Gemma?
- The mind games in this episode are so strong, I get the feeling I could rewatch this four and five times and still keep picking up little movements and glances.
What did you think of this episode of Killing Eve? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Killing Eve will return in 2020.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.